Iranian anti-narcotic police squads disbanded an international drug ring in the country’s northwestern province of West Azarbaijan, a senior police officer announced on Sunday.

Head of the information center of the West Azarbaijan’s police department Ali Jadidi told reporters that the ring had established links with armed groups to transit illicit drugs.

Elaborating on the operation, Jadidi mentioned that police special forces could identify the ring’s hideout after a month of intelligence operations.

“6.910 kg of heroin as well as 1.680 kg of morphine were discovered after searching the place,” Jadidi said, adding that the police has arrested eight members of the international drug-trafficking ring.

Iran lies on a transit corridor between opium producing Afghanistan and drug dealers in Europe.

The Islamic Republic has emerged as the leading country fighting drug-trafficking after making 85 percent of the world’s total opium seizures.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has lost more than 3,500 of its security forces in its war against drug smuggling.